Last October, I received the good news that Bexhill has been chosen as one of 55 towns which will benefit from a £20 million 10-year endowment-style fund called the Long-Term Plan for Towns. This followed on from the £20m Levelling Up Fund announced in January 2023 for cultural projects at the De La Warr Pavilion and Sidley, and the announcement of the £20 million Levelling Up Partnership for projects across Rother in March 2023.
The Long-Term Plan for Towns requires each of the chosen towns to set up a Town Board who will be responsible for developing the Long-Term Plan, working closely with local people. Government guidance is clear that Town Boards must be chaired by a local community leader or local businessperson, not an elected representative. The chair should “act as a champion for the town and provide leadership for the Town Board, ensuring it is community-led and embedded within the local area”.
I was extremely pleased when Abi Newbury, Managing Director of Bexhill-based accountancy firm Honey Barrett, accepted the role of Chair. I have met Abi several times in my role as MP for the Bexhill and Battle constituency. She ticks every box with her skillset, lives and works in the town, knows many across business and community, and successfully helped to regenerate the Bexhill Chamber of Commerce. Abi takes the role extremely seriously and has chosen her board members carefully to ensure that all sectors of the community are represented.
Government guidance also states that the Board is expected to have on its membership the local MP and representatives from each tier of local government. This means we have one councillor apiece from Bexhill Town Council, Rother District Council, and East Sussex County Council. The Police and Crime Commissioner also gets a seat on the board. Our other members represent education (to ensure the youth voice and education are represented), the NHS, local business, and the voluntary and cultural sector.
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of taking part in the Board’s inaugural meeting. On the agenda was the business of running an effective Board. We discussed and approved matters including our Interim Terms of Reference, Code of Conduct, and Declarations of Interest. We also had to agree a community and business engagement plan, communications plan, and decision-making structures and processes. It was a productive first meeting which sets the tone for how we intend to maximise the potential of the Long-Term Plan for Towns for Bexhill. Dr Anne Rathbone, the Levelling Up Partnership Manager at Rother, is providing excellent support to the Board. She has already been actively involved in engaging with Bexhill community organisations and individuals. Many of those with an interest will have already met her.
Now, the exciting part happens. The Board must submit our 10-year vision and 3-year investment plan to the Government by 1st August 2024. Extensive community engagement has begun and there is a clear plan on how this will continue. The Board wants to hear ideas from the Bexhill community about what they think the Long-Term Plan should deliver. As a guide to those who want to submit proposals, Boards must ensure that projects they want to support are aligned with the 3 themes of the fund: safety and security; high streets, heritage and regeneration; and transport and connectivity. The Board has launched its own website which can be found at https://www.bexhilltownboard.co.uk/ and email address [email protected].
Finally, on Wednesday afternoon, I was delighted to attend a reception for new Town Board Chairs at No 10 Downing Street with three Bexhill residents. Abi was there in her role as Chair, and I was incredibly proud that Jay Carroll and Nikki Collins from the Heart of Sidley were invited to give a presentation to Town Board Chairs as exemplars of projects which have already been set up and delivered. With this positive start, I am confident that the Town Board will deliver for Bexhill.
